A past Vice President of the California chapter of Percussive Arts Society, Tad Carpenter has built a distinguished career in the marching band and drum & bugle corps activity.

Carpenter earned his undergraduate music degree and teaching credentials from California State University Northridge. He followed with a Masters in Percussion Performance, earning honors status at the University Of Southern California Thornton School Of Music.

Tad has been involved in marching virtually since he could carry a drum. At age 11, he was playing with Santa Clara Vanguard Cadet Corps. At 14, Tad got his first taste of success, winning the High Drum Caption with SCV ‘A’ Corps in 1975 and 1978. Over the years, he has instructed winning corps and marching bands including the Sacramento Freelancers, Glassmen, and Velvet Knights Drum & Bugle Corps. Tad has also marched with the Disneyland Magic Kingdom Korps.

His horizons expanding, Carpenter has instructed and composed percussion for various Super Bowls, the 1984 Olympic Band, the 1991 Olympic Sports Festival, the 1994 World Cup Opening Ceremonies in Los Angeles, the Spirit of Tanjong in Singapore, and has given clinics throughout Southeast Asia, and China.

Today, Tad instructs drum lines for the University of Southern California Trojan Marching Band, the Tournament of Roses Honor Band, and he is Director of Percussion at Pasadena City College - all this in addition to duties as an adjudicator and clinician for American Drum Line Association, Percussive Arts Society, and Drum Corps Europe.

Tad has studied under Fred Sanford, Ralph Hardimon, Rob Carson, Joel Leach, Karen Ervin, Jerry Steinholtz, and Erik Forrester.

Tad has product endorsements with Innovative Percussion, Evans Drumheads, Yamaha, Zildjian.